Line composing and casting machine.



H. A. ARMSTRONG.

LINE COMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILLD FEB,25,1913

1,108,826. Patented Aug.25,1914.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR $70 55, tfifizzra flf/ V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. ARMSTRONG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 INTERNATIONAL ryrasnrrme mourns comm, or YORK.

Application filed February 25, 1913. Serial No. 750,615.

Specification of Letters Patent.

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 01 NEW LINE COMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Line Composing and Cast ing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in line composing and casting machines and is especially adapted for use in connection with those of the well known linotype class which employ wedge spacers which are introduced into the line during the composition thereof by manipulation of a keyboard.

The primary object of the invention'is to provide improved escapement mechanism for controlling the delivery of the spacers from the box or reservoir in which they are stored whereby the spacers will be delivered more promptly in response to manipulation of the keyboard, and greater certainty and efiiciency in the control of the spacers is attained.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinationsand arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 'is a perspective view of a reservoir containinvention is shown and will be described as applied to a machine of the linotype class and to spacers as .erally employed in that class of machines, the generalltype of ma ehine and spacers being disclosed fully in the patent to Ottmar Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, dated September 16, 1890, and to which reference 1s made. It may be explained that the wedge pacers, the delivery mechanism embodying the present invention, are commonly employed in machines of the linotype class for the purpose of justifying the composed line and spreading the matrices in the line to fill out the same to standard length, and the spacers as generally used are each composed of two parts having complemental inclined surfaces which are slidable upon one another, thusforming a wedge, the two parts or members of the spacer having a dove-tail connection. These spacers are commonly known as space bars or space bands and they are stored in a space box or reservoirblin reladiness to be delivered to the assem in ine as required b ro er mani ulation of the keyboard. p

In the present embodiment of the invention, the space box or reservoir embodies opapart to form a' passageway between them of which is controlled by the escap ement for the spacers, and the sides of the reservoir are held in proper spaced relation'by the connecting screws 3. In the present instance, spacers of the form commonly used are shown, each spacer being composed of a relatively short member 4: and a relatively long slide 5 which depends therefrom, these members having the complemental inclined surfaces and the slidable dove-tail connection as described above and disclosed in the prior patent referred to. The upper member 4 is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting lugs 6 upon which the spacer is adapted to be suspended. Theside members 1 and 2 of the reservoir are formed with a pair of surfaces 7, which are inclined downwardly toward the delivery end of the reservoir, and the outwardly projecting lugs 6 on the spacers rest on these inclined surfacesjaaa and gravitate along the same to the delivery end of the reservoir. A rail 8 is fitted in the upper portion of the reservoir at a point between the side members thereof and I is adapted to engage in the correspondingly shaped recesses 9 which are formed in the tops of the members 4 of the spacers. A door or cover plate 10 i rovided which serves to normally close the ront or delivery end of the reservoir, a screw inserted in the holes 11 and 11 serving to pivotally connect the door to the reservoir, and another screw 12 is adapted to enter a notch 13 in one side of the door and to clamp the door in its normally closed position, loosening of the screw 11o 12, however, permitting the door to be readily swung into open position about the screw in the hole 11 as a center. I

A pair of rails 14 and 15 are arranged between the side members 1 and 2 of the reservoir and are adapted to cooperate with the vertical edges of'the lower slide members 5 of the spacers contained in the reservoir. A dog 16 is fixed in the passageway for the spacers and in a position to form an abutment or stop for the lower slide member 5 of the foremost spacer in the reservoir, this dog in the present instance being shown attached to the forward or delivery end of the rail 14. That end of the rail 15 toward the delivery end of the reservoir terminates at a point where it will be clear or in rear of thelower' slide member 5 of the foremost spacer in the reservoir, and a spring 17 is provided which bears against the adjacent side edge of the lower slide member 5 of the foremost spacer, this spring having a tendency to move inwardly or toward the fixed dog 16. A plunger 18 is mounted in the side .member 1 of the reservoir, and its inner end is arranged to bear against the lower slide member 5 of the foremost spacer which rests against the stop 16 as an abutment and is normally retained in engagement therewith by the spring 17. A spring 19 acts normally to withdraw the plunger 18. This plunger is adapted to be actuated by a part having a mechanical connection with an appropriate key on the keyboard whereby actuation of such key will force. the plunger 18 inwardly against theaction of its retracting spring and will thereby move the lower slide member 5 ofthe foremost spacer edgewise and laterally, in opposition tothe action of thespring 17, thereby disengaging the same from the dog 16.

A pair of rails 20 and 21 are fitted against the inner sides of the side members 1 and 2, and these rails serve as supports for the shoulders 22 which are formed at the opposite sides of the upper member 1 0f each spacer. The rails 20 and 21 terminate in rear of the door 10, thereby forming a pasthe latter have been released by the escapement mechanism and drop into the delivery chute 23, as shown in-Fig. 3. The dog 16 is also offset to the rear of the forward termini of the rails 20 and 21 whereby the foremost spacer in the reservoir will occupy an inclined position with the upper. end thereof tilted forward beyond the surfaces 7 and resting against the door 10, which latter acts as an upper abutment. While the foremost spacer is in this position, the shoulders 22 on the uppermember 4 of this spacerwill rest on the rails 20 and 21 whereby such spacer will be supported in the position described. However, when the plunger 18 is,

actuated, the lower slide member 5 of the foremost spacer will be freed from the dog or lower abutment 16, thereby permitting the lower portion of the spacer to swing for ward; and as the spacer approaches an upright or vertical position, the shoulders 22 on the upper member 4 will .pass forwardly ofi of the rails 20 and 21, and this spacer. will then be free to drop vertically into the delivery chute 23, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. When a spacer is delivered from the reservoir in the manner stated,'the next succeeding spacer will come against the dog 16 and it will then occupy the same position as that of'the preceding spacer.

The spacers are usually introduced into the reservoir at the rear end 24 by distributing mechanism after'a cast has been made from the composed line.

Escapement mechanism embodying the present invention is very simple in its construction, and in practice, it is not onl reliable as a means for controlling the dehvery of the spacers, but it will be observed that each spacer begins to descend the moment it is released, thereby insuring more prompt delivery of the spacers as compared with .escapement mechanisms as heretofore used wherein the spacers are raised or lifted during the releasing operation, and such lifting or raising of the spacers occasions a slightdelay or lag in the delivery of the s acersin response to operation of the key oard, requiring the o erator to pause to insure introduction of t e spacer into the line at the proper point. Another objection to an es-- capement mechanism which involveslifting or raisin of the spacer incident to the releasing t ereof is that con estion of the spacers occurs frequently owing to the fact that more than one spacer would be lifted before the spacer which it was intended to release had dropped clear of the spacers following it. Interference between the spacers is impossible with the present invention owing to the inclined position occupied by the foremost spacer, this spacer when released having ample room in which to dro before the following spacer can be release sageway for the lugs 6 of the spacers after I claim as my invention 1. In 'a machine of the class 'escapement mechanism for spacers embodying upper and lower abutments, spacer-supporting devices located between the upper and lower abutments, and means for moving the spacer laterally to release it from the the lower abutmentwhereby the spacer will described, 115

assume a position which will free it from said supporting means.

3. In a machine of the linotype class, a spacer-controlling escapement consisting of upper and lower abutments adapted to detain the spacer from advancing, a supporting ledge below the upper abutment adapted to prevent the spacer from falling, and means for moving the spacer laterally to release it from its lower abutment whereby the lower end of thespacer may advance and thus allow the supported part to clear the ledge.

4. In a machine of the class described, spacer-controlling escapement mechanism embodying means for holding the spacer in inclined position, means for supporting the spacer while occupying such position, and means for moving the spacer laterally whereby it may approach an upright position and thereby disengage from said supporting means.

5. In a machine of the class described, spacer-controlling escapement mechanism embodying vertically spaced devices cooperative to hold a spacer in inclined position, a ledge arranged between said devices and operative to support the spacer while held by said devices, and means for moving the spacer laterally to release it from the lower of said holding devices whereby the spacer may move toward an upright position and thereby free itself from said supporting ledge.

6. In a machine of the linotype class, the space band magazine or reservoir, and a spacer-controlling escapement for releasing the leading spacer from the magazine at Will, said escapement consisting of an abutment for the upper end of the spacer to rest against, a dog to hold back the lower end of the spacer so that the spacer will have a backward inclination, a rail to support a shoulder of the spacer located intermediatcly of said abutment and detent, and means for moving the spacer laterally to release it from said dog whereby the spacer may swing toward the delivery end of the magazine, clear of the supporting rail, and thus be released without lifting.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

M. S. SOUDDER, C. HANSEN. 

